Prestone AS261 Power Steering Fluid

Prestone AS261 is a conventional mineral-oil-based power steering fluid. The product markets itself as compatible with all manufacturers — domestic cars, SUVs, CUVs, minivans, and light- to medium-duty trucks — but this is a broad universal assertion without named OEM specification documentation. No publicly available TDS names a specific fluid specification such as Dexron VI, Mercon V, or any European OEM standard. The additive package includes zinc compounds (per the SDS) and is described as anti-wear system protection that resists pump failure, squeals, and clogs, along with corrosion protection for metals, rubber, and gaskets. The product claims a 50,000-mile fluid life. At under $8 for a 32-oz bottle, it is one of the lowest-cost options in the category — appropriate as an emergency top-off or routine maintenance fluid for domestic vehicles where the owner's manual specifies a conventional power steering fluid without requiring a named OEM standard.

Prestone AS261 suits owners of domestic passenger cars, SUVs, and light trucks where the owner's manual specifies conventional power steering fluid and no specific OEM spec is named, or where a quick top-off is needed before the correct spec fluid can be sourced. Skip it for European vehicles — BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, Audi, and Volvo hydraulic-assist systems require a dedicated fluid (typically Pentosin CHF 11S or CHF 202), and a conventional petroleum PSF is not a compatible substitute. Skip it for Honda and Acura hydraulic-assist systems — those require Honda PSF specifically. Skip it entirely if your vehicle has electric power steering (EPS) — EPS systems do not use hydraulic fluid.

The SDS (revision 2021-01-22) classifies this product as Not Hazardous under GHS — no signal word, no GHS pictograms, and no H-codes at the mixture level. The realistic pour scenario involves brief dermal contact with a high-flash-point petroleum oil; inhalation risk at ambient temperature is negligible given the flash point above 399°F. The label includes an explicit caution: if swallowed, do not induce vomiting — call a Poison Center or physician. A Prop 65 warning appears on the label for cancer and reproductive harm. Power steering fluid is drain-destined — it cannot be poured down a household drain or storm sewer and must be collected during a flush and taken to an automotive fluid recycler. The SDS describes the base oil as inherently biodegradable in aerobic conditions, a lesser standard than readily biodegradable.